Oxford Diecast 76DT003

Diamond T Charles Thurston - 1:76 Scale

Manufacturer catalogue image - please note that pre-release images may be CAD renders or CGI/AI images rather than photographs

Prototype Eras
Era 3 (1923 to 1947) The Big Four (LNER, LMS, GWR and SR)
Era 4 (1948 to 1956) British Railways Early Crest
Era 5 (1956 to 1966) British Railways Late Crest
Era 6 (1967 to 1972) British Rail Blue (Pre-TOPS)
Era 7 (1972 to 1982) British Rail Blue (TOPS)

Manufacturer description

Originally used for tank transporting, the Diamond T 980 was manufactured by the Diamond T Company based in Chicago. The British Army, in 1940 required a vehicle capable of transporting larger and heavier tanks and approached a number of American truck manufacturers to assess their models. The Diamond T Company had a long history of building military vehicles and had produced a prototype heavy vehicle for the US Army. This was modified to meet the British requirements and an initial order for 200 was very quickly filled. Called the Diamond T 980 it was a 12-ton hard-cab 6x4 vehicle which proved to be one of the most successful in its class. It was powered by either an 895 cu in Hercules DXFE OHV inline six diesel engine developing 185 bhp , or the 1,090 cu in Hall-Scott 440 OHV inline-six gasoline engine at 240 bhp. Gearing was very low allowing it to pull a trailer load of up to 120,000 lb and it was capable of pulling the heaviest tanks then in service. Many of these Diamond T's, after war service, ended up at fairgrounds and circuses as shown on this Diamond T carrying the Charles Thurston livery.

Catalogue listing

Oxford Diecast Diamond T Charles Thurston – 1:76 Scale

Manufacturer part number 76DT003 represents the British Railways Early Crest period. The model reproduces a Diamond T 980 heavy truck, originally built by the Diamond T Company of Chicago for tank transport. In March 1940 the British Army sought a vehicle capable of moving larger and heavier tanks and selected the Diamond T after evaluating several American manufacturers. The prototype was modified to meet British specifications and an initial order of 200 units was rapidly fulfilled.

The Diamond T 980 was a 12‑ton hard‑cab 6×4 vehicle. It could be fitted with an 895 cu in Hercules DXFE OHV inline‑six diesel engine developing 185 bhp, or a 1,090 cu in Hall‑Scott 440 OHV inline‑six gasoline engine producing 240 bhp. Low gearing allowed it to haul a trailer load of up to 120,000 lb, enabling it to pull the heaviest tanks then in service. After World War II many examples entered civilian use on fairgrounds and with travelling circuses, as illustrated by the livery of Charles Thurston on this die‑cast model.